EL CHOCLO for viola & piano (1903)

EL CHOCLO for viola & piano (1903)
Ángel Villoldo (1861-1919)
arr. Lucian Moraru
SonArt Publications SON-40-7, 2022
Viola version with composer performing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiCbahnm6CM

Tangos are all the rage, so it is good to have another to add to the viola repertoire by a leading protagonist of the tango, Argentinean composer Ángel Villoldo. El Choclo means “the corn cob” – the name of a nightclub, and is his most famous work. It was so famous that during World War 1 it was mistakenly played as Argentina’s national anthem at a public occasion. This whimsical, impetuous arrangement is just under 3 minutes, and highlights so many textures such as spiccato, chords, harmonics and lyricism – a great encore piece for a recital.

Stringendo (Australian Strings Association’s magazine) - October, 2023